In this episode, Jeff tries a three vintage vertical of Sauvignon Blanc samples from Cornerstone Cellars…

Wine Tasted:

Cornerstone Cellars 2011, 2010, and 2009 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc

Food Pairing:

King Crab Mac and Cheese. The acidity of the Sauvignon Blanc cut through the fattiness of the crab and the cheese. The salinity of the wine also highlighted the seafood. This food pairing does a great job of showcasing the richness of the Cornerstone Sauvignon Blanc.

Next Day Bonus Food Pairings:

Shrimp Ceviche. This spicy and rich ceviche brought out some of the ripe fruit flavors in the wine.

Super Burrito Al Pastor. The savory burrito highlighted the herbaceous notes in the Sauvignon Blanc. I would show you a picture of the burrito unwrapped, but that would make for a messy meal.

Stay Rad,

Jeff

What’s the oldest Sauvignon Blanc you’ve had? What are your thoughts on aging your white wines? Leave us a comment, and let us know what you think.

Let’s take pancakes, for example. I have never been a pancake-for-breakfast type of guy.

They’re way too filling. They’re way too sweet. They’re almost always made from some crappy mix from a box that’s been sitting in the back of somebody’s pantry for way too long.

But…

When we change the idea of a pancake from a fluffy, sugary breakfast food to that of a hearty, crisp, savory meal… Well… That’s something I can get into.

So…

The other day, I was watching The Chew. On this episode, guest chef, Ming Tsai, showed how to make a simple, savory pancake out of leftover Chinese food.

It looked so tasty…

So good…

So not like a traditional pancake…

I just had to make my own version (without the leftovers).

So, here’s what I did…

I mixed together 2 cups of flour with one cup of warm water until it became one fluffy ball. I kneaded the dough for about ten minutes, then left it in a bowl (covered by a damp towel) for about an hour.

While the dough was resting, I chopped up about a quarter of a cabbage and two scallions, and threw them in a bowl.

I rolled out half of the dough really thin, brushed it in olive oil, sprinkled in some salt, and covered the dough with the half of the cabbage and scallions. I then rolled up the dough, pulled it apart into two smaller pieces, and rolled each piece into a 7″ pancake. I proceeded to make two more pancakes with the rest of the dough.

Each of the pancakes was cooked over medium heat in an omelet pan with a little bit of olive oil for about 3 and a half minutes each side. To finish the pancake, I topped it with some prosciutto and a little bit of the leftover cabbage and scallions.

To serve, the pancake was cut into four slices, topped with a drizzle of Sriracha, and accompanied by a butter lettuce salad with a spicy peanut vinaigrette.

Wow!

I was really happy with how this turned out. The pancake is crisp and chewy. The cabbage and scallions give the pancake an earthy flavor. The prosciutto gives a delicate meaty flavor, while the Sriracha adds a spicy complexity.

Now…

You know I’ve gotta have some wine with this.

Here’s what I chose…

VINTJS 2012 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

Trader Joe’s keeps surprising me with the quality of juice they are bringing for price. In a world where people are obsessing over Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley of Oregon, usually the entry-level wines from this region come in at $20.

So…

When I saw this wine for $8, I had to get it.

Color: Very light ruby. I know Pinot Noir is always going to be light, but this is one of the lightest I’ve ever seen.

Nose: Upon first inspection, the fruit on this wine is hard to miss. Though it does dissipate as the wine opens up, initially, all I could really get was fresh raspberries. Notes of maraschino cherries, whipped cream, and even some lettuce leaf begin to appear over time.

Taste: Though dry, I can’t help but think of a summertime dessert of cherry, raspberry, blackberry, and blueberry tart when tasting this wine. There are some good notes of vanilla, spice, clove, and tobacco leaf. While pretty, the wine finishes a bit thin for me.

Score: Make no mistake. If you really want to know what Willamette Valley Pinot Noir tastes like, this not the wine for you. But… If you want a quality wine for 8 bones, this will do the trick. 88 points.

With Food: I am really happy with this pairing. The savory, salty, and spicy pancake highlights notes of tea leaf and tobacco in the wine. It provides a good body and depth of flavor to the wine as well. The peanut dressing on the salad continues to provide a great earthiness I felt was lacking in the wine.

Do yourself a favor…

The next time you’re thinking about pancakes, put down that maple syrup and grab the Pinot Noir instead.

Stay Rad,

Jeff

What wine would you pair with your favorite pancake? Leave a comment, and let us know.

To the left of the Fetzer 2011 Shaly Loam Gewurztraminer, you will find a bomb ass Delux Falafel Wrap from Morgan Hill’s own Mr. Falafel. You could come to Morgan Hill to get the wrap, but you’ll find the wine EVERYWHERE… or at least Trader Joe’s.

Color: The wine is what I like to refer to as apple juice yellow. You will see a few bubbles in the glass. You will notice them more as you taste the wine.

Nose: Nice, subtle peach and mineral on the nose. Not overly complex, but enjoyable.

Taste: The bubbly frizzante action gives a fun, dancing component to the acidity and minerality. There’s a nice hit of lemon and peach fruit to go along with some residual sweetness.

Score: At $7, this wine will not change your life, but it is quite enjoyable. A solid 87.

With Food: I like my hearty, crunchy Falafels with a lot of heat. I always order them spicy. The acid on this wine takes the heat from the wrap on a fun little ride. The sweetness gives a cooling effect, so you are never overwhelmed by the heat. This is a mad dope pairing. That’s a good thing.

This wine was given to us as a wedding gift from Jan and Dr. Jan Krupp of Krupp Brothers and Stagecoach Vineyard way back in 2010. We decided that Valentine’s Day was as good a day as any to break this puppy open and see what it had in store.

So… we took the bottle down to our favorite sushi restaurant, CreAsian, to have a taste…

Here it is. Black Bart’s Bride.

The wine is a blend of 70% Marsanne and 30% Viognier from the L2 and 14B blocks of Stagecoach Vineyard. The wine was barrel fermented on its native yeast, went through 100% natural malolactic fermentation, and was aged sur lie for 9 months in 85% new French oak. It has an awe-inspiring 14.9% alcohol. The Wine Enthusiast gave it a 93. Needless to say, this is a wine geek’s dream (Do you hear that, Wine Geek?).

Color: Super yellow golden straw in color.

Nose: White flowers, honeysuckle, and dried apricots.

Taste: This wine is ridiculously big in its mouthfeel. In spite of its big, oily viscosity, the Bride has a nice, crisp acidity to go with it. The palate is all flowers, honey, petrol, and mineral.

Score: I really like this wine, but I’m not one to slap a 93 on it like the Enthusiast. I’m going 89.

Now…

The write-up in the Wine Enthusiast warns that this wine may be a difficult one to pair with other foods, and I agree…

But…

If it’s gonna work with anything, it’s gotta be Asian.

My feeling was that the oiliness of the fish would bring out secondary flavors of the wine.

Sure enough… as we got into the meal, it’s the crisp acidity that continued to be highlighted in the Bride. It’s that same acidity that helps make the flavors in the food just pop.

Speaking of food…

Here’s what we ate at CreAsian…

Seaweed Salad

Sashimi Tacos. My favorite!

My Soy Sauce, Ginger, and Wasabi. You gotta dip your sushi in this, but I’ll show you what I like to do in a little bit…